Blame a lot of Raiders players and coaches for Sunday's 34-3 loss to the Saints. Just leave cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha out of it.
After all, opposing teams always do.
Saints quarterback Drew Brees completed 26 of 30 passes for 320 yards, but only one of those throws went toward Asomugha.
After the game, Brees let Asomugha know it wasn't by accident.
"He laughed," Asomugha said of their postgame conversation. "He told me, 'Not today.' "
When it comes to testing Asomugha, go ahead and add not last week or last season.
Never mind that two-time Pro Bowl cornerback DeAngelo Hall is on the other side of the field. And forget that Asomugha is playing with a brace over his right elbow to protect a broken bone.
Teams have thrown at him five times in five games. Three were completions and one was nearly intercepted.
The only time Brees tried him, it was on a screen pass to fullback Mike Karney in the left flat. Asomugha zoomed in and tackled the 255-pound load for a 1-yard loss.
The rest of the time, Asomugha covered his man and wishes he could do more to prevent the impending mudslide.
"It can get tough," Asomugha said. "It's frustrating because I can't make those plays."
Not when they're not throwing to him.
Tough return: Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell played at the Superdome for the first time since he led LSU to a 41-14 victory over Notre Dame in the 2007 Sugar Bowl.
Russell had 40 tickets for friends and relatives who hoped for a college flashback.
"It was fun to come back, but that was in the past," said Russell, who grew up two hours away in Mobile, Ala. "I'm just trying to move forward from there and hopefully we'll get wins like that."
Up but away: Raiders special-teams coach Brian Schneider almost kept his promise not to punt to Reggie Bush.
Bush had one return for 8 yards and was tackled by Jon Alston. Pro Bowl punter Shane Lechler then hit one so high that Bush called a fair catch and one so deep it went into the end zone for a touchback.
Alston, a Stanford alum who faced Bush of USC during college, also kept Bush from catching a deep sideline pass near the goal line.
Short of it: At least Sebastian Janikowski remains nails when kicking from inside 55 yards.
Janikowski tried 57- and 59-yard field goals inside the first half's two-minute warning. He missed both wide left. In between, the Saints turned the excellent field position into their own field goal for a 10-3 halftime lead.
Interim head coach Tom Cable thought about punting before the first field-goal try for that very reason.
"I really kind of kick myself there," Cable said. "But you believe in the guy, so you give him a shot. Length wasn't an issue at all."
Janikowski's only other miss this season was a 76-yard attempt.
Role reversal: The Raiders played for the first time in two weeks. The Saints were coming off a short week after a Monday night game.
Excuse Saints coach Sean Payton for not noticing.
"I thought we looked like the team that had the bye, not them," Payton said. "I was proud of the energy we had."
And Cable's thoughts?
"I thought we could have played harder," Cable said. "I think the thing we have to do is each look in the mirror and say, 'Hey, we're better than that, we can play harder than that,' and that starts with me."
Briefly: Good bye, nothing. The Raiders have lost six straight games after the bye week. They've also lost six straight season openers, so maybe extra time to prepare isn't the answer. ... Pro Bowl defensive end Derrick Burgess was inactive after straining his triceps last week. He sought a second opinion Friday and Cable expects to know more today. ... Wide receiver Ashley Lelie ruptured a blood vessel when his head hit the turf in the fourth quarter. He did not return to the game but was fine afterward. ... The Raiders failed to score a first-half touchdown for the fourth time in five games. ... Gibril Wilson and Thomas Howard tied for the team lead with 11 tackles each. ... Defensive tackle Tommy Kelly got a sack late in the game, only the sixth time Brees has been sacked this season.
